YSU football announces schedule

January 29, 2014

For the second straight season, the Youngstown State football team will play seven games at Stambaugh Stadium the athletic department announced on Tuesday. The season starts with three consecutive home contests in the month of September after playing the opener at Illinois.

YSU opens the season on the road making its first-ever visit to Illinois on Aug. 30. The Penguins play conference road games at Missouri State, South Dakota State, Illinois State and North Dakota State.

The contest against the Illini marks the seventh time in nine seasons the Penguins will play a foe from the Big Ten Conference. The visit to Memorial Stadium will mark a return visit for coach Eric Wolford and assistant coach Tom Sims. Wolford and Sims were assistants with the program in 2007-08.

The Penguins will play Duquesne at home for the second straight season. YSU defeated the Dukes 59-17 on Sept. 21 at Stambaugh Stadium.

Butler, which won the Pioneer Football League and made its first-ever FCS playoff appearance, returns to Youngstown for the second time. The Bulldogs visited Stambaugh Stadium in 2010, Coach Wolford's first season. YSU won that contest 35-7. In 2013, the Bulldogs won seven of their last nine contests and finished 9-4 on the campaign.